A difference between life and death
His life is in danger.
Immediately she calls the Department of Foreign Affairs in Dublin. Diplomats there scramble to establish contact with other EU governments and very quickly the Colombian government starts receiving diplomatic requests from the Irish Embassy in Mexico backed up by other EU consulates.
A Colombian government official is quickly dispatched and a potentially life-threatening situation is avoided.
Exciting stuff, but all in a day's work for Ms Lawlor, director of Frontline, an Irish organisation which defends and protects human rights' advocates right across the world.
For Frontline, or more accurately, for the person depending on the organisation's help, speed could be the difference between life and death.
"It has to be fast. The thing about work on human rights' defenders is it has to be fast and it has to be flexible because people are at risk," says Ms Lawlor leaning on the table in her Dublin office. A framed Seamus Heaney poem - From The Republic Of Conscience - hangs on the wall behind her.
"We need to be able to respond directly and quickly and we need to keep in front of us the faces of those individuals at risk and not just to be shuffling about paper," she says.
Lawlor left as Director of Amnesty International's Irish section to set up Frontline three years ago with a present of €3.8 million from Denis O'Brien, who remains chairman of the charity.
There are now 900 human rights workers on the books who can call if they are in trouble while other help is also afforded.
The satellite phone which saved Brendan Forde's life was donated by Frontline while others in danger have received flak jackets and security equipment. Others, beaten down by incessant pressures and threats are simply afforded a quiet break in Ireland.
But crucial to the organisation's success is a good working relationship with the Government and Department of Foreign Affairs. This, Lawlor candidly describes as a process of education on the Government's part.
"There was a process of education with the Government and a sort of gentle nudging," she says while acknowledging the vast amount of co-operation afforded to her.
Typically she still wants more. "That doesn't mean I consider they're doing enough yet," she said in a manner which suggests she knows she'll likely get it.
One of her current targets is Justice Minister Michael McDowell, whom she has convinced to consider super fast temporary visas for human rights defenders in need of a break. A proposal on the matter is winging its way to his desk as we speak.
And Tom Kitt has also agreed that human rights' defenders will be a priority of Ireland's EU presidency.
It would be a mistake though to think Frontline only operates in far- flung Third World countries. A report on the United States is being compiled and includes cases where prominent human rights lawyers representing muslims have faced trial for conspiring with a terrorist organisation purely on the basis of a press release.
"Although the pattern is clearly not as grave as places where you could be tortured or killed nevertheless the threats are real," says Lawlor of the US. And things have become much worse since September 11.
"The context in which human rights defenders are operating is now tougher than it was. They were always at risk because they were always people that Governments or armed opposition groups didn't approve of.
But now governments can excuse everything in the name of security and that's what's happening. The political context has changed and it make it more difficult to work," she says.
Nevertheless, there will always be those who will stand up against such offences on liberty.
She has a strong admiration for the people she protects and defends.
"To me they are the bravest of the brave and the most incredibly spirited and life-loving people who are willing at the most enormous personal cost to try and bring about civil and just societies in their country," she says.
It is obvious as she speaks that, although separated by often thousands of miles from the people she defends, their fears have become hers.
"They live lives that you can't even imagine. They wake up in the morning not knowing whether they're going to be alive that night.
"That kind of relentless unending pressure they live under to try and improve the lot of their fellow people I do find it very extraordinary and I do find it very shocking when you meet these people and they tell you what they go through," she says.
Frontline can be contacted on 01 212 3750. E-mail: info@frontlinedefenders.org
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